Music
The artists on this page may not be known to you, hence their
inclusion. Mostly a bit leftfield and sometimes challenging, but
none the less interesting for offering a bit of 'in yerr face'.
 Carol
Clerk - old friend and great rock n' roll writer
Back in the heady days of the punk and reggae revolution I was
team leader for youth work in Acton, west London. A young journalist
on the Acton Gazette supported our work with youth bands across
the borough of Ealing. That was Carol Clerk, whose sad death you
reported. We were in thick of it, promoting young outfits like
the punk band, The Satellites and reggae masters, Misty in Roots
- and Carol was always there amidst the pogoing, gobbing, and
rasta sound systems, writing the words and drinking the bottled
Guinness - never the draught stuff.
I greatly enjoyed her friendship, shared with her a passion for a rich mix of music, and even went and
visited her parents over in Cherry Valley, Belfast. A fiesty lady and an individual voice in the world of
rock n' roll.
Carol went on to be deputy editor of Melody Maker, and latterly a major contributor to Uncut magazine
and author of a number of rock-related books including ones on the Pogues, Hawkwind and Vintage Tattoos.
Top pic: Carol with Del Gibbs, singer with the Satellites
Middle: With Johnny Pi r squared, bassist with the Satellites
Bottom: with me!
Alan and Sam
were both at the same Endorse-it festival – but didn’t meet –
at beautiful Oak Farm in Cranborne Chase on the edge of Salisbury
Plain. It's a really special and memorable festival.
Read more and see some of their pics in this pdf:
 Endorse-it (pdf 493 KB)
'Strummerville' is building on
the life and times of legendary 101er and Clash-man, Joe Strummer.
It's providing stages, rehearsal spaces, recording gear and a
band vehicle for new musicians (literally from all over the world).
Those that really want to be heard, whatever the genre. Was great
at the Endorse it festie.
Check it out: www.strummerville.com
Originally brought up in Nepalese orphanage, Vicky Robson-Capps
is a young lady who has her sights set of the heights of the pop/soul
world: www.vickyrobsoncapps.com
Tofu Love Frogs are one of the all time great traveller/squat/road
protest bands. Think Pogues on speed. Great music with attitude:
www.tofulovefrogs.co.uk
Urban Voodoo Machine are awesome live. Bluesy, shades of Tom Waits,
a bit of Gypsy and lots of good songs that you immediately knew
all your life. Have you ever seen a band with two drummers, one
of whom is giant and GREEN? Lots of the buggers — see them if
you can, otherwise visit them at:
www.theurbanvoodoomachine.com
Alan always loved the Zion Train in all their different incarnations.
Deep dub reggae with a zest for changing the world. Change yours
with the wibbly wobbly worlds of ZT at:
www.wobblyweb.com/zt
 Powersteppers
are two ex-members of Zion train and often play with Dubmerge.
Dub reggae with some good vocals. Main members of the gang are
Colin Powerstepper and the great voice of Molara: www.myspace.com/powerstepper
Attila the Stockbroker should be in charge of the Treasury.
He first broke into the punk scene as a poet. But he's more
than that. He continues to comment upon social ills, challenge
and rant. As he says, making poetry history. Good on him. And
he comes from Southwick, near Brighton, where Alan was born!
www.attilathestockbroker.com
goodtimes goodtimes: billed as the new acoustic Springsteen,
the guy's got some good songs, especially 'Love' (and he's just
getting into running, so he must be cool):
www.goodtimesgoodtimes.co.uk
Dekay is a real voice of the north London Estate — great
words 'give me benefit, yeah, but is it benefiting me' —
go listen to the lady:
www.strummerville.com/diy/dekay
and:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_byOvCEgAl4
Pre-War Blues and more from Mud in your ear, you can listen to
Snakehips and
Scratchy
And you can see photos from their performance at the Fleet in Eyemouth in this pdf:
Blues Fest (pdf 289 KB)
Peter Mackie, is a one-off singer/piano player, whose CD Alan
organised the recording of by Ivor Johnstone of Soundhire Scotland:
www.myspace.com/petergmackie
The Borrowed and Blue site offers one guy's downloads of music
— genuinely unusual and eccentric:
www.borrowedandbluesongs.blogspot.com
Roldo of the former band Pocklaw Slap (named perhaps after Eyemouth's
pathway):
www.myspace.com/moliarencanphanycspace
Mook Bahloo (and Shanto), Alan's co-author on the Alternative
Australia book:
www.oneearth.ws/youtubesmovie.php?vID=430
Alan's mate, Thom the World Poet, and friends, offer a musical
ode to Cider!:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQEAfB-zLuQ#watch-main-area
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